Article of furniture



April 9, 1963 T. WINROW 3,084,975

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed July 12, 1960 United States Patent 3,984,975ARTICLE 0F FURNHTURE Thomas Winrow, Chicago, llL, assignor to Futorian-Sta-afford Furniture Company, Chicago, Ill, a corporation of DelawareFiled July 12, 196i), Ser. No. 42,435 3Claims. (ill. 297-11) Thisinvention relates to an improvement in an article of funniture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved sofa,couch or seat, provided with an extension which may be used as an endtable but which also supports a removable section which forms a seatportion of the sofa. The removable section when removed becomes anindependent article of furniture and may be used as a foot rest or as anarticle of furniture, either in conjunction with the sofa or independentthereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sofa, couch or seatwhich by the removal of a removable section converts the sofa and thelike to a combination sofa and end table and permits the removablesection to be used as a separate article of furniture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an article of furnitureof the foregoing character which is highly attractive and which whenused solely as a sofa, couch, or the like, appears as such and does notappear as a convertible article of furniture.

Other objects will beome apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective View showing a portion of a sofaembodying this invention, with the removable section in raised positionfor purpose of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is a view showing the removable section removed and positionedfor use as a foot rest.

FIGURE 3 is a view showing the removable section positioned contiguousto the rear of the sofa, and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the removable section inposition on the sofa extension.

The invention herein disclosed may be utilized in connection with :asofa, couch or chair, and only that portion of the sofa, couch, or thelike, necessary to show the embodiment of this invention will bedescribed. It will be understood that the general construction of thesofa, couch and/ or chair is not part of this invention, as same may beembodied in any conventionally constructed sofa, couch or chair.

As shown in the drawings, only the end portion of a sofa, couch or seatis shown and same includes a frame member, on which the upholstered seat12 and back portion 14 are support-ed, as is well understood. The framemember includes a front wall 16, a rear wall 13, and opposite side wallssuitably joined together in the conventional manner. It also includes ahorizontal seat rest 19 on which the upholstered seat or cushions 12 aresupported.

In conventional constructions, the opposite side walls of the frame arein substantial vertical alignment with the outer ends of the seat, thusthe side wall of the frame would normally be in vertical alignment withthe side 20 of the seat 12. With the construction forming this inven-"ice tion, the frame is extended so that the front and rear walls 16 and18, respectively, of the frame continue as at 16 and 18 and are joinedby a side wall -22 of the frame. This will be sometimes hereinafterreferred to as the extension, although it will be understood that theframe and extension are formed as an integral unit. The extension is ofa trapezoidal shape, but the invention is not restricted to the specificshape shown.

The frame extension includes a horizontal top wall or panel 24 madepreferably of wood which extends over the top of the front, rear andside frame walls of the extension and forms a finished table topappearance. As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the front of the frame islonger than the rear, thus the extension designated by the numeral 26 isof trapezoidal shape, however, the invention herein is not limited tothe particular shape shown.

Secured to the frame in the conventional manner and .to the frameextension are leg members 28 which are similar to the legs secured tothe frame in the rest of the sofa or chair. The top 24 of the extension26 is on the same horizontal plane as the seat rest 19 of the frame. Thecushion or seat 12 of the sofa is positioned or mounted on the seat rest=19 of the frame. Thus, the top of the extension 26 is below the topplane of the seat 12.

The top panel 24 of the extension 26 is provided with four spacedenlarged openings 30 which are adapted to accommodate the legs of aremovable section generally designated by the numeral 32. The surfacebelow the top panel 24 is unobstructed. The removable section 32 has atop plan configuration identical to that of the extension 26 and same isformed of a base member 34 of that configuration, formed preferably ofwood, which supports an upholstered top or cushion portion 36 having aheight equal to the height of the cushion or seat portion 12' of thesofa or couch.

Secured to the underside of the base 34 of the unit are four legs 38which are so spaced that they will be accommodated in the openings 30 inthe extension. When the unit 32 is secured in position on the extension26, the legs 38 pass through the openings 30 and extend downwardlythereof, but it will be seen that the legs 38 are of a lengthapproximating the height of the front, sides and rear of the frame sothat the legs 38 will not be visible when the unit 32 is on theextension 26.

When the removable section 32 is on the extension, as shown in FIGURE 4,the removable section appears as though it is an integral part of theentire sofa or seat and the upholstered portion of the removable sectionappears as a continuation of the seat portion of the sofa. Thus, from anappearance standpoint the removable section 3-2 looks as though it werepart of the sofa and not a removable section thereof.

When it is desired to use the extension 26 as an end table, for thepurpose of placing food or beverages. thereon, or if it is desired touse the removable section as an independent piece of furniture, theremovable section 32 is removed merely by lifting same. As such it maybe used as a foot rest and positioned forwardly of the sofa, in themanner as shown in FIGURE 2. Since the top of the removable section 32will be on the same plane as the top of the extension 26, it may bepositioned in relation to the extension such as shown in FIGURE 3, or inother contiguous positions, for the purpose of enhancing the appearanceof the article of furniture.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing Without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of furniture including a frame member and legs forsupporting said frame member, a seat rest on said frame member, a seaton said seat rest, a top wall on said frame member adjacent one endthereof and adjacent said seat rest providing an extension, said topwall having a plurality of spaced openings, a removable section having aplurality of legs arranged complementary to said openings to beaccommodated in said openings when said removable section is positionedover the top of said top Wall, said last mentioned legs having a lengthso that when positioned in said openings the said legs will not extendbelow the bottom of the frame member, said removable section having atop surface substantially on the same plane as the top surface of saidseat and which serves as a continuation of said seat when the removablesection is on the extension, said extension serving as an end table whenthe removable section is removed from said extension.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the removable unit whenremoved from the article of furniture will serve as a leg rat.

3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the extension and theremovable section each have a trapezoidal shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,344,277 Phillips June 22, 1920 2,187,689 Jaray et 'al Jan. 16, 19402,466,204 Brown Apr. 15, 1949 2,690,570 Salisbury Oct. 5, 1954 2,703,411Kelly Mar. 8, 1955 2,924,830 De Long Feb. 16, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS786,550 France June 8, 1935

1. AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE INCLUDING A FRAME MEMBER AND LEGS FORSUPPORTING SAID FRAME MEMBER, A SEAT REST ON SAID FRAME MEMBER, A SEATON SAID SEAT REST, A TOP WALL ON SAID FRAME MEMBER ADJACENT ONE ENDTHEREOF AND ADJACENT SAID SEAT REST PROVIDING AN EXTENSION, SAID TOPWALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS, A REMOVABLE SECTION HAVING APLURALITY OF LEGS ARRANGED COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID OPENINGS TO BEACCOMMODATED IN SAID OPENINGS WHEN SAID REMOVABLE SECTION IS POSITIONEDOVER THE TOP OF SAID TOP WALL, SAID LAST MENTIONED LEGS HAVING A LENGTHSO THAT WHEN POSITIONED IN SAID OPENINGS THE SAID LEGS WILL NOT EXTENDBELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME MEMBER, SAID REMOVABLE SECTION HAVING ATOP SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY ON THE SAME PLANE AS THE TOP SURFACE OF SAIDSEAT AND WHICH SERVES AS A CONTINUATION OF SAID SEAT WHEN THE REMOVABLESECTION IS ON THE EXTENSION, SAID EXTENSION SERVING AS AN END TABLE WHENTHE REMOVABLE SECTION IS REMOVED FROM SAID EXTENSION.